After Tommy John surgery, Caleb Coscarart making up for lost time on the mound

A fter the injury and before the diagnosis a summer ago, Caleb Coscarart’s fate was a punchline.

“We would joke about it: Imagine if I had to get Tommy John surgery?” he said, remembering the rest, ice and compression he applied to his pitching elbow while sidelined with the Yakima Pepsi Beetles. “We were thinking — hoping, really — that it was just a hyperextension. Or, maybe at the worst, a slight tear.”

The MRI revealed no such luck.

It was a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament and, yes, Tommy John surgery.

“It was just devastating,” said the 2021 Eisenhower graduate. “I don’t think it really sunk in until I left for Big Bend (Community College). They had a fall program with games and practices when all the work starts and I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t really be part of the team. That was a real struggle.”

A struggle from which he has finally emerged a full year later, back on the mound and back with the Beetles.

There have been encouraging ups and disheartening downs as he becomes a different type of pitcher after the reconstructive surgery, but the progress Coscarart has made was on impressive display Thursday on opening night of the Firecracker Wood Bat Classic. The 6-foot-1 right-hander hurled a four-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over Eastside Baseball.

“It’s a long rehab process — which I’m still doing — and it takes a ton of hard work and patience,” he said at Parker Faller Field the day after his gem. “To have it happen after high school, wiping out my summer and first year of college ball — that’s tough. But you just have to keep going. I’ve been a pitcher since I started playing baseball and I didn’t want to give it up.”

–

The dreaded pop

It wasn’t a curveball, specifically, and he wasn’t overworked, the red flags for teenage elbow injuries.

“Spring was great and I had a really good first game for the Beetles,” Coscarart said. “A little later in June I was in the second inning of a game with two outs and I remember throwing an extra hard fastball to get the third out. I got the out, but something popped on that pitch. Between innings I was thinking, ‘I’ll be fine, no problem.’ But back out there, I was in agony and lasted only one batter. Still, I figured with some rest I’d be OK.”

During the surgery in late July, ligament was taken from Coscarart’s right wrist and used to replace the UCL in the elbow of the same arm. Recoveries range from nine months to two years depending on all sorts of factors. To his credit, he didn’t try to do too much, too soon.

And he did what he was told.

“I was lob tossing in December, throwing easy but longer a few months later and by the end of April I could throw to hitters,” he recalled. “Listen to your doctor and physical therapist — I really didn’t want any kind of setback.”

Once it became clear he was on track to return to competitive pitching in the summer, the question was where?

–

Parker homecoming

Coscarart was all set to resume his pitching career in the Hoquiam-based Cascade Collegiate League, which was founded three years ago by Yakima Valley College assistant coach Ben Krueger. At age 19, he thought a return to the Beetles wasn’t possible because his birthday was late last year.

“Coach (Roger) Guzman called me and said I could play in all the non-league games,” he said. “That turned out to be basically the whole season.”

With the Central Washington League reduced to just the Beetles and Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak this summer, Coscarart could play in all games and tournaments except the four-game series with the Pak later this month.

“I wanted the older competition, but I didn’t even know in May if I could throw 80 (mph) yet and against college guys that’s not very hard,” Coscarart said. “I had to ask myself if I wanted to be thrown in with older, better hitters or work back into it a little more gradually. Pitching for the Beetles was the best choice, I think, plus I still get to play third and first base when I’m not pitching.”

So to rebuild his arm, strength and confidence, Coscarart stayed home where he originally had all those things.

But the surgery and rehab have created a different pitcher.

–

Here comes the velo

Everyone has heard the stories of Tommy John surgery, if fully successful, leading to higher velocity. Coscarart can tell you it’s true.

But before the speed comes a new repertoire.

“I am pitching differently, for sure,” he said. “I can’t throw my slider anymore, but I’ve replaced that with a change-up. That’s what I have to go with my two-seam fastball and knuckle curve. I’ve never been a big strikeout guy, relying more on missing barrels and getting the ball on the ground. But, yes, now I can throw harder. People say it’s because you have a new elbow but there’s more to it than that.”

Like a full year of strength work on the whole body, not just the attention on the throwing arm.

“It’s the amount of extra work you have to put in to keep your arm healthy and strong,” he added. “Those nine months of working your butt off, that’s got something to do with it.”

In addition to his 12 punchouts on Thursday, Coscarart struck out 10 in a win on the final day of the Garretson Memorial tournament last month and he fanned eight in five innings on June 28.

But, naturally, there have been a few clunkers. In his first two starts he gave up 14 hits and walked 10.

“When you’re building back strength on the mound, sometimes you get fatigued and struggle with command,” he said. “I started back with bullpens in late April and May and that’s something I need to be doing year round. But this last outing, that was super encouraging.”

While Coscarart’s season ERA is 4.17 thanks to those early struggles, over his last seven appearances it’s just 2.03 with 42 strikeouts. And he’s handled 100-plus pitches in four games.

“I’ve been able to get a ton of innings and that’s exactly what I needed,” said Coscarart, who will return to Big Bend in the fall. “I had no confidence to start out and I needed this to roll into, to find out where I am. I’ll find out more in the fall. I’m not at 100 percent yet, not nearly. But that’s kind of the cool part of this.”